I Think I Like You
by Ziggy Mo
Summary: He saves her from a flat tire, and she rescues him from a clingy barfly. A story of two people about to give up on relationships find something in one another. Walking Dead AU: no zombie apocalypse, but possible references to zombies. Shane Walsh/OFC
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Welcome to my new story:) Some quick notes: this story is a way to expand and improve upon my writing, so constructive criticism is very welcome and encouraged. This is an AU Walking Dead fic featuring the sexy Shane Walsh and an OC. I very much enjoyed the character and the actor that portrayed him, and I never found a whole lot of Shane fics that I actually enjoyed. So...I decided to do my own. Forewarning, there will be swearing and mature content, especially sex and convos revolving around sex. I will update as often as I can, so I'm looking at once a week, but I make no promises. Also, I do not own or claim to own anything under the copyright of Walking Dead. Now that the clerical stuff is over with, here we go..._

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Chapter One

Shane Walsh knew he and Heidi were going to split. It was only a matter of time. He didn't take the relationship seriously, and he didn't think she did either. That's not to say that all the stuff she said, his flaws she pointed out didn't hurt a little bit.

"You're a selfish bastard, Shane," she had said. "You only care 'bout yaself and getting what you want. You don't stop ta think 'bout what you're doin' ta other people."

He knew she was right. Hell, he was only with her 'cause her boobs were bigger than his head, and she was always down for a good fuck.

"You should be more like Rick," Heidi spoke. "He's a gentleman and a good father. Keep doin' what you're doin', and you'll end up alone like you deserve."

Now, it wasn't so much her calling him selfish and insensitive to other people's emotions that hurt. No, it was how she compared him to his best friend Rick Grimes.

He and Rick grew up in King County together, from diapers to King County Sheriff's deputy uniforms. They played on the same sports team, went to the academy together, and luckily enough, ended up as partners on the force. The two were pretty much brothers, and Shane would always introduce them as such. He was the best man at Rick's wedding and the godfather to Rick's son Carl. Shane loved the man, but he hated that people would compare him to Rick.

In Shane's eyes, Rick was perfect: perfect grades in school, perfect girlfriend-turned-wife, perfect son. Everyone viewed Shane and Rick as inseparable, but the few troubles and pranks Shane caused when he was younger would always garner snide comments from everyone in town about Rick being the golden child and Shane the bad seed. Shane was jealous of that, and he thought he couldn't ever be like Rick with his perfect life. From that point on, Shane decided that making himself happy was all that really mattered. He didn't care, but like all his life being compared to Rick, that knife just drove a little bit deeper.

Leave it to women to pick right at those weak spots.

Good riddance, he thought. The girl was borderline psychotic anyway. Last night, he'd gone over to her place for a roll in the sheets and maybe a blowjob. No problems there. It wasn't until this morning that Heidi decided to flip a switch and go all clingy. She could easily have waited until after he'd finished and pulled out to start talking about where their relationship-slash-fuck-buddies thing was going. Stupid Shane, feeling all warm and tingly and only two strokes away from his orgasm, decided to tell her the truth: that he was only looking for some tits to hold and a warm, wet pussy to come home to.

Shane Walsh was never one for class.

That was when she called it off and shoved him out her front door in nothing more than his briefs.

Now, Shane was headed home for a shower and a change to get ready for his shift. He figured a long, hot shower would help clear his head for the day, and maybe a coffee on the way to the station.

As he was pulling into the cafe's parking lot, he noticed a girl struggling to remove the spare tire off the back of her Toyota Rav4. Ignoring her, he walked into the coffee shop ordering a large coffee, black, two sugars from the acne-ridden teen at the counter. After taking that first sip, Shane was already in a better mood, having forgotten what that bitch Heidi said this morning, mostly. He put on his aviators and stepped into the Georgia heat.

Almost to his car, Shane noticed that the girl with tire issues had made no progress with her spare. He wanted to leave, just get in his car and leave, but the look of defeat on her face had him changing his mind. He set his coffee in his cup holder and jogged over to the girl to help.

"Mornin'," he greeted. "Need some help with your car?"

"Please," she said helplessly. "I popped my tire turning into this stupid parking lot, and I can't loosen the damn lug nuts from my spare."

"Here, let me." Taking the tire lever from her, Shane easily turned the first lug nut free before doing the next three.

"I totally loosened them for you," she asserted.

Shane chuckled and handed her the iron before moving to change her tire.

"I'm sure ya did, ma'am," he answered. "Good thing I was here to do the easy work." Shane made quick work of trading the flat and spare. "Good as new."

"I'm not really that helpless," she said when he handed over the iron. "I'm just not strong enough to remove the nuts from my tire. Thank you, officer."

Shane finally looked at her. She was a short girl, coming up to maybe his chin, with blackest black hair in a loose braid. He noticed beads of sweat along her hairline and on her cherry nose. She was tan, too, real tan. Probably Mexican, he thought. That would probably explain those lovely curves.

"I'm always more than happy to showcase my strength for women in need."

She laughed at that. "Cute," she said putting her tools in their rightful places. "But, seriously, thanks, Officer Walsh."

"Shane," he corrected her. "What do I call you?"

"You get right to it, don't you?" she asked. He smirked back at her waiting for her answer. "Eva. My name's Eva."

He was ready to put on the charm when his phone rang. Damn good timing.

With a silent curse, Shane bid Eva farewell before heading to his car to start his day as sheriff's deputy, but not before giving her his card and getting a promise from her for a call. "Just in case you need anything else from me."

"Will do, Officer Walsh."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: What do you guys think so far? I fucking love it, so I hope you guys do, too. Anyway, here's the second bit. I forgot to mention in the first AN that this story will alternate between Shane &amp; Eva's POVs. I won't do anything too crazy, just alternate every other chapter. Let me know how you like it, please :)_

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Chapter Two

The sun was beating down onto everything, and she absolutely hated it. According to the thermostat in her car, it was pushing about 90 degrees, and it fucking felt like more. The humidity was not helping. Why the hell did she move to Georgia in the first place?

Because Taylor begged her.

"Eva, you need to come out here!" she begged over the phone. "I miss you, and I'm so lonely. I've made, like, two friends since moving out here, and they're just my co-workers." After hearing her dearest friend plead this exact thing on essentially every call since Eva had helped her move to the south from Colorado, she was slowly breaking down to her friend's wishes.

"You know I love you, Taylor," she'd always return, "but I have so much here still. I've got work and my family and Jack."

"First off, sweet cheeks," Taylor said seriously. "You're a writer: you can work from anywhere; your family can always come out to visit; and Jack is an asshole. You can find someone better than him down here."

Ah, Jack: Eva's latest of terrible men she had ever dated. Taylor despised the guy. She was never too fond of the men in Eva's life, but Jack was the most hated. Eva never understood even after many heart-to-hearts with Taylor on the subject, at least not until the very end.

When they first started dating, Jack was the sweetest guy with which she had ever been. He'd surprise her with gifts, take her on spontaneous dates, and shower her in so much adoration. Eva fell for him hard. Taylor, however, believed this romantic behavior was all a front for his true douchery.

How right she was.

Turned out, Jack had reconciled with his ex-girlfriend while still with Eva. He had done a great job at covering his tracks and keeping the two women apart. That was until Eva decided to surprise Jack at his office one night when he was working late. She had shown up in a long trench coat, wearing absolutely nothing underneath, when she opened his office door to find his face buried in the other girl's cleavage.

"I've seen his ex: her boobs have nothing on yours," Taylor had said trying to cheer up her friend.

It was the day after discovering Jack's treachery that Eva decided to cancel her lease, pack up her car, and drive out to Georgia to start anew.

A month later, here she was in the fucking Peach State, just about melting into the pavement trying to fix the flat on her car.

_This fucking blows_, she thought when she inspected the damage.

Opening her trunk, Eva pulled out the necessary tools to change her tire, and took the cover off the spare. Placing the iron on the first lug nut, Eva gripped the lever and started to turn...but the damn thing would not budge. Giving up, she moved to the second. That one stayed firmly in place. Frustrated, Eva moved to the other two with absolutely no luck.

She knew it would probably be easier to call someone out to help her or ask for help from someone passing by, but being the stubborn bitch that she was, she tried each lug nut another time before throwing her hands up in irritation and staring at the sky.

A few minutes later, Eva watched as a guy in uniform jogged up to her and offered her some help. She stepped back and watched as the deputy, if his uniform was anything to go by, easily swapped out the two tires and secured them to her car.

"I'm not really that helpless," she defended when he handed back her tire iron. "I'm just not strong enough to remove the nuts from my tire. Thank you, officer."

Officer Walsh, according to his name tag, smirked. Eva took the guy in with fascination. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Being pretty short herself, most people were taller than her, but this guy was pushing about six feet. And he was nicely tanned, probably because he spent most of his shifts outside in the Georgia sun. He had black, curly hair she imagined running her fingers through. He had a strong jaw with a dusting of dark stubble. He looked the embodiment of masculine, and if he wasn't wearing his sunglasses, she'd bet her right boob he had a penetrating gaze that left soaking panties in his wake.

"I'm always more than happy to showcase my strength for women in need."

Oh, God help her, he was flirting with her. And she enjoyed every fucking bit of it.

"Cute," she laughed putting her tools in their rightful places. "But, seriously, thanks, Officer Walsh."

"Shane," he corrected her. "What do I call you?"

"You get right to it, don't you?" she asked really reveling in this attention. She knew she was probably jumping on the bike a bit too soon after her breakup , but if this was how they grew the men down here, she could forget all about What's-His-Face and learn to love this state. "Eva. My name's Eva."

She was just about ready to offer to buy him a coffee when his phone rang shocking her back into her panties.

She watched as he hesitated a bit before answering his phone and telling the caller he was on his way into the station. Before leaving her, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card.

"Just in case you need anything else from me," he said with a wink. "It's got my personal line in case it's after hours."

"Will do, Officer Walsh." She sure as hell was going to take full advantage of it.


	3. Chapter 3

All he wanted to do was drink a few beers, shoot the shit with his friends, and maybe go home with a warm and willing body. By the way things were going tonight, he was on his way to a good night in his book. He just needed to find a pretty girl with a good set of tits.

"Alrigh', Walsh," one of the guys said, "round's on you."

Chuckling, he shook his head, climbed from his seat, and headed toward the bar to order three more beers.

Heading to the bar, a few passing people bumped into him, but he didn't care. He loved this place: classic rock pounding from the speakers as sweaty bodies writhed together on the dance floor, groups of friends sitting together telling stories and jokes while drinking, and pool balls clinking together from the myriad of billiards tables around the joint. It was like a home-away-from-home for him.

On weekends, especially between "relationships," Shane was always here enjoying himself.

Hell, he had his first bar fight here.

Right after Shane had turned twenty-one, he and the guys had come to this place to celebrate something or other. Doing shot after shot, they'd ended up drunk off their asses. During a trip to the restroom, he'd bumped into some big ole fella trying to juggle shot glasses back to his table. The guy spilled the whiskey down Shane's front. Back then, Shane was a confrontational drunk thinking he was tough shit and nothing could take him out. That being said, Shane popped the guy in the face yelling about how he needed to learn some goddamn manners. The next thing he remembered was excruciating pain radiating from his nose and Rick prying him off the sticky bar floor.

This place held some pretty fond memories for him. Like when Millie Hall gave him his first public handjob in the corner booth by the bathrooms. Or the time Patty Myers blew him in the men's room. And even that time Trisha Peters let him fuck her in the ass in the alley next to the dumpster.

He fucking loved this place

"Hi, Shane."

He turned in the direction of the voice. A sexy, leggy blonde had sat in the stool next to him, her body turned toward him and her cleavage on full display. He looked her up and down, smirking in approval. Ah, Sherry: another one of those fond memories from this bar.

"Long time no see," she purred, reaching out resting her hand on his forearm. Then he remembered.

The last time Shane had seen Sherry was about a week before he'd started seeing Heidi. She'd been with a bunch of her coworkers celebrating someone's birthday or promotion when he'd sidled up to her and started putting the moves on her. He'd gone back to her place that night and fucked her on the kitchen counter. She made him pancakes the next morning and started making plans like they were married: dinner with friends, movies they should see. He bolted out the door as soon as he could.

Funny how he ended up with another psycho for the next several weeks instead.

"We should catch up," she said licking her lips. "Let me buy you a shot."

"No thanks," he said. _Damn, this bartender is taking his sweet ass time. _"I'm here with some friends, Sherry. Just tryna relax after a long week."

"Maybe I'll join you guys, then," she said.

"I wouldn't want to keep you from your people," he said hoping she'd take the hint.

"I'm sure they won't miss me too much," she replied. "Besides, this'll give me a chance to meet your friends."

This girl was as dumb as she was pretty, or she just refused to believe that he was trying to blow her off.

"Look, Sherry-"

"Babe, what's taking so long with our drinks?" a female voice said loudly off to his side.

Turning to look at the person, Shane noticed a familiar face smiling up at him.

"What? Eva?" he asked very confused. She didn't reply, only raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Oh, um, the, uh bartender, he, uh, must be backed up a bit." At that, the tire-problem girl from before winked. Shane slowly realized what she was doing for him when he was brought out of his thoughts by a throat clearing on his other side. "Oh, Sherry, this is, uh, Eva."

Eva came around him and stuck her hand out toward the blonde. "Hi, nice to meet you, Sherry. I'm Shane's girlfriend." She just stared at the proffered hand in disgust.

Thankfully, the bartender showed up with his long-ago ordered drinks and a couple extra beers. Eva grabbed two bottles and took a swig out of one before looking back at Shane.

"They're probably wondering where we're at with the drinks," she said before walking toward his table. Following suit, Shane picked up the remainder of the drinks and walked after her.

He was dumbfounded at her random appearance at the bar. He'd given her his number only a couple days ago, and he was fairly certain that she'd call him, but she didn't, obviously. But now here she was, rescuing him from a clinger.

He pulled her aside after introducing her to his friends and meeting her friend Taylor.

"Thanks for earlier," he said once he got her alone. "I mean with Sherry."

"No problem," she said. "I figure me saving you tonight makes us even for the other day."

"Speaking of," he replied, "I thought for sure ya were gonna call me. I was really hoping ya would."

"Thing is, I was definitely going to, but I kinda, sorta lost your card." He chuckled at her watching as her cheeks tinted a bit pink.

"Kinda, sorta," he chuckled. "How'd you do that?"

"I accidentally sucked it up when I was vacuuming my car," she explained.

"I guess I can forgive ya if it were an accident."

"I figured if I did need to get a hold of you, I could always call 911 and request the help of the sexy Deputy Walsh." At that, Shane laughed loudly making her smile.

She was still as cute as he remembered. Her long, black hair framed her face as it hung loosely instead of in the braid he originally saw. And it was long as hell. It hung well past her shoulders, past her perky tits, and down almost to her hips. He imagined himself taking her from behind, wrapping her hair around his fist, and pulling her head back to expose her neck for him to bite.

He was drawn from his little daydream by her lifting the bottle to her mouth and taking a long pull. She set the bottle down and ran her tongue across her lips to catch any stray droplets. That little action brought his attention to her mouth. He watched the pink tip of her tongue smooth across the bottom lip bringing a shine to them. That had him thinking about her wrapping her lips around a certain hardened piece of his anatomy as his hand fisted into her lengthy locks.

Shane and Eva spent a good portion of the night drinking and talking about anything and everything. After their second round of drinks together, Shane decided he wanted to end the night with her naked beneath him...or on top of him. Hell, he'd take her any way she'd let him.

"So, Walsh," she said slapping her hands on the table and pushing herself up. "How do you want to do this?"

"Do what, darlin'?" he asked clearly confused.

"Tonight? Do you want to go back to my place, or would you prefer the comfort of your own home? I'm thinking your place just because I don't think Taylor would appreciate any loud sex noises. And by the looks of you, I'm bettin' you know how to give it real good." Shane was speechless at her blunt statement. "Or have I read the situation completely wrong?"

Jumping out of his quick shock, Shane slid himself off the chair and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "My place is only a coupl'a blocks from here. And don' worry, sweetheart: I'll fuck you senseless." He pulled away and took in her blown pupils and parted lips.

"Lead the way, Officer."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Thanks for the lovely reviews, favorites, alerts, and followings! You guys make me blush :) This chapter is a bit shorter, but be warned, SMUT FOLLOWS! Please review! And please enjoy :)_

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Chapter 4

Only two things ran through her mind: "fuck yess!" and "don't you fuckin' stop!" At the moment, Shane had her pinned down, a hand on each hip, as he ate her out. Actually, "devoured" was probably a better term.

As soon as the duo had made the trek back to his place, they pounced on each other ripping off clothes, flinging them any which way. The minute she was completely nude, Shane had pushed her into the living room armchair and got down to business. This man knew exactly what he was doing, and Eva was almost positive this was the best decision she'd ever made.

His mouth was latched onto her heat as he suckled, nibbled, and lapped all while drawing out the most primal cries she had ever made. She didn't want this to ever end. But in only seconds, she felt an immense tension release and spread to every cell in her body. She was in absolute heaven.

While she made the slow descent back to sobriety, Eva was made aware of gentle bites and kisses up her body. She glanced down and watched as he trailed his mouth over her skin. She whimpered when he dipped his tongue into her navel. He continued his oral assault on her body: licking between the valley of breasts, mouthing at her breasts, tugging at her nipple rings, and sucking at her neck. Upon reaching her lips, Shane kissed her deeply, his tongue massaging hers. She tasted herself on his tongue, making her moan into his mouth.

"Every bit of you tastes so fuckin' good, darlin'," he whispered into her ear. "I bet you feel as good as you taste." That statement had her toes curling and her body squirming.

Shane suddenly disappeared. She made a sound of disappointment, leaning to watch his retreating form.

She looked on as he hunted down his pants and searched his pockets. A shiny, square packet caught her eye. While he made his way back to her, Eva took the moment to drink him in. Shane was a looker in clothes, but in all his glory, he was a specimen to behold. She just wanted to sink her teeth into him: his toned pecs, the prominent six-pack abs, his hipbones, the distinct V, and the throbbing, thick erection pointed directly at her. She saw the power beneath his skin as each muscle tensed and relaxed as he moved, and she knew she was in for a fucking treat. She licked her lips in anticipation, and he chuckled.

"You like what you see?" he asked before striking a pose. She only nodded.

Shane moved to stand in front of her, tearing open the condom packet. She watched in sheer fascination as he rolled the rubber over his engorged cock.

"Please fuck me," she responded breathlessly.

"As you wish, ma'am."

At that, Shane bent over her, tucking his hands under her knees to spread them, and slowly eased himself into her until he was as deep as he could get. She was stretched to the precipice of pain, and she loved every inch of it. And she wanted more.

He stayed still too much for her liking. _Probably to let me get used to his size,_ she thought irritatedly. She started rolling her hips trying to give him a hint that she was more than ready for him. He understood and slowly drew himself out of her. He pulled all the way out before slamming himself back into her. He continued this move a few times until she begged for more.

"Fuuuuuuuuck," she moaned. "More...please…"

Shane complied with her request and moved harder and faster into her.

She could feel the heat curling in her belly more and more with each thrust from his powerful hips. And as the heat grew, so did her volume. That seemed to spur him on more for his thrust had gotten impossibly more intense and erratic.

Without warning, Eva's orgasm washed over her in waves, each muscle in her body tensing incredibly taught. Not a second after, she felt him go rigid above her. She leaned up, kissing him, swallowing his moans as he rode out his own orgasm. Finally, he collapsed onto her, completely spent.

After recovering, Eva and Shane cleaned themselves up before he lead her to his room and pulling the covers back on his bed inviting her to climb in. The two settled into bed, Shane curling himself around Eva and throwing an arm over her side to cup her breast, and slowly drifted off into a restful night of sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the alerts, follows, and favorites! As always, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please a review and/or some constructive criticism! Enjoy!_

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He woke to a high-pitched screeching off toward the left of his head. Stretching an arm out, Shane snatched up his phone and stopped the murder-inducing noise, all while pressing the screen a little too hard. Shutting his eyes, he rolled over, throwing his arm over the body that should've been there. When his arm hit cold sheets, his eyes snapped open. To say he was surprised to wake up alone was an understatement. He vaguely recalled someone sneaking out of his bed some time in the night.

"Where are you goin'?" he had asked.

"Sh...go back to sleep," his companion answered before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. Lying back down, he quickly dozed off.

But he thought it was all a dream.

Sitting up, some of his muscles protested the movement, particularly the muscles in his arms and lower body, and he smiled with clarity and realization before starting his day.

As the water poured over his sore and sated body, Shane thought back to the night before. He remembered the noises she made as he touched her, the way her tits over-flowed from his fingers, and how tight her pussy clenched around his dick when she came. These memories brought a familiar stirring down below. With the aid of some soap, Shane grasped his cock, and worked himself over.

He was no stranger to the One Night Stand, but this was the first time in a long, long time that a girl had left him. Because he was usually the one that was crawling out the window or sneaking on tiptoes away from the sleeping form, he felt a flurry of emotion at having the tables turned. He felt offended because he assumed that Eva would've wanted a repeat in the morning, impressed because someone had turned the tables on him, and exhilarated because it was some pretty good sex.

And he hadn't had phenomenal sex like this in years: a damn good fuck that left him sore and hoping for more.

This sexcapade was definitely in the top 3. It ranked closely with the Anderson twins threesome and the night he lost his virginity.

It was on rare occasions that he found someone that could really blow his mind. Heidi was good, but mostly due to the fact that she let Shane do pretty much whatever he wanted to her in bed. But hell, she was a talker, and not the fun kind. Sherry was a bit too touchy, a smidge too intimate to his liking. Andrea, his last real fuck buddy, was good, but then she asked him to move in with her: that was a no-go.

He hardly ever thought too much about the girl, but for some reason, Eva was front and center in his head. He kept thinking about her at the bar last night: their conversation, her saving him from Sherry, and her sexy body all opened up for him. He was so focused on her that he almost locked his keys in his house on the way out, and at Rick's observance, he missed two buttons on his shirt and a belt loop on his pants.

"What's wrong with you, brotha'?" Rick had asked him. Shane didn't have a straight answer, and he sputtered a pitiful attempt at changing the subject.

After thinking about Eva and the situation she left him in, Shane finally decided on a solution that he firmly believed would get her off his mind.

_I just need to fuck her again. _


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thanks for everyone interested in this story! It's flattering to see all these favorites and follows. Please don't forget to leave a review :)_

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"Good morning, sunshine!" Eva looked toward the fridge, and there stood Taylor greeting her with a smirk and a pair of waggling her eyebrows. "So...how was your night?"

Taylor and Eva were never ones to keep secrets from each other. Like any close friends, Eva and Taylor told each other everything-what kind of sex they liked, who they've slept with, and whether or not he was good at doing the deed. And Eva wouldn't change their relationship for the world. She had some other friends that would go all quiet and shy whenever a Viagra commercial came on TV. She never understood why. Probably just sheltered, she assumed.

"It was pretty amazing," Eva revealed. Then she began to divulge every dirty little detail of her night with the sexy officer. "He did things with his mouth that...mmmmm...I really liked." Taylor stared in fascination as Eva went on.

"Damn, you're lucky," Taylor moaned with jealousy. "The last guy I slept with didn't want to go down on me until I sucked his dick first. And then, the guy couldn't even find my clit."

"I'm sorry, boo. Some day, you'll meet the perfect guy for you, and he'll eat the hell out of your pussy." At Eva's declaration, the two broke into fits of giggles.

After Taylor left for work, Eva decided to get some work done on her most recent project: copy editing an anthology of horror stories for the publishing house she was currently contracted with. She sat and stared at the words and pages in front of her, but she couldn't focus. Her mind kept drifting to the sexy man from last night. Thinking all she needed was a change of scenery, she shut her laptop, scooped up all her work, and made her way out the door.

She found herself at the same cafe to which the parking lot belonged within which she found herself practically stranded only a couple of days earlier. She had commandeered a window booth of the cafe, very much like a stereotypical writer at a Starbucks. Unlike the traditional role, Eva had actually ordered food-a sandwich, chips, and tea, tipping the server a hefty sum.

"Just keep the tea coming," she had told the waitress. And for every cup the girl brought her, Eva set aside a couple of dollar bills to give to her when she left.

Eva had been sat at the same booth for little more than an hour, and she had just been able to concentrate on two short paragraphs...and then her mind drifted off again.

She thoroughly enjoyed her rendezvous with the sexy Officer Walsh. He really knew his way around the female body. He knew exactly which buttons to press and in which order to press them to get her crumbling beneath him. Just the memory of how his mouth melded to her body, how his dick had stretched to her to just before pain had her regretting sneaking out this morning. But then again, she was never one to spend the night at a stranger's: she preferred the comfort of her own bed. Besides, there was probably a code for rebounds and one-nighters, etiquette for sexual encounters of the casual, spontaneous nature.

The more she contemplated her recent foray with Deputy Thick Dick McSweet Ass, some of her favorites from the highlight reel made an appearance in her head.

Jack, her latest ex, was the first up. Sure, he was a douche canoe for cheating on her, but looking past his hideous indiscretion, he knew how to make a girl's knees weak. He made it his mission to always make her come first, either by mouth or fingers before plunging into her with his cock. If for whatever reason he was unable to bring her to orgasm, he'd make it up to her three times over before falling asleep in sexual exhaustion. Then it had all stopped, probably because he and his dick had been distracted by his ex.

Previous to Jack, there was Jason Avery, an army boy with an affinity for anal. The act wasn't as bad as she originally believed. It was an enjoyable experience, and he was very gentle, always making sure she was more than prepared for his girthy intrusion. Still, she wasn't too big a fan of someone going in the backdoor, no matter how much lube or stretching was involved. But it would always be an exposure she was glad to have under her belt.

To kick off her sexual experiences was Mitch Ballard, her junior year lab partner-turned-senior year boyfriend. They'd been very exploratory during the inception of their relationship, mostly second-base material. But it soon became a little more adventurous. He'd cop a feel while they dry humped on her couch during their after school study sessions, suck on her tits in his car during lunch. He'd been her first, in a lot of things. He was the first to finger her, to receive her first blowjob, to fuck her, but her favorite was that he was the first to go down on her.

"Can I lick you?" he'd asked during one of the times they were actually focused on school work.

"What?" she asked clearly confused by his disturbing the peace of her room. He took a moment before explaining.

"I mean like tasting you," he elaborated, gesturing to her crotch. "I'd seen it in a magazine, and it looks like something we both might have fun with." She stared at him contemplating his request, then nodded her head in approval. "I can finger fuck you to get you going, if you want."

Mitch had worked her over with his fingers, preparing her for his oral exploration. And even as eager as she was to try something new at this young age, Eva was nervous of having his mouth on her. She was a bit scared that he wouldn't enjoy the taste or the smell or any of what went on down there. But as soon as his tongue met her clit, all reservations were catapulted out the window.

Mitch was definitely inexperienced, but after some coaching from Eva-sucking a bit here adding a finger or two there-he was able to bring her over the edge.

After that first experience, Mitch became obsessed with cunnilingus, and Eva was more than happy to let him hone his skills on her. He practiced pretty much every day on her, and she couldn't get enough. He'd quickly became a pussy-eating king. It was thanks to him that she was a huge proponent to oral satisfaction.

All these lovely memories had her panties soaked, and there she was in public unable to do much about her horny predicament.

Deciding against going home for a midday masturbatory fest, Eva chose to do the responsible thing and get some serious work done. _Then_, she promised herself_, I can go home and finger myself 'til the cows come home_.

She picked up a pen and focused all her attention on the paper in front of her, setting her mind to the task at hand, when suddenly a figure settled itself onto the bench across from her. Looking up, she saw a familiar face. To be more exact, it was the same face that hovered above her as its owner pounded into her last night.

"Missed ya this mornin'," he said while reaching over and stealing a chip. "Figured you woulda liked a round two." Eva just stared at him, surprised he was there. "Yeah, one of ma many qualities is renderin' sweet things, like yaself, speechless."

"Did you come looking for me?" she asked finally finding her words.

"Nah, I just happened to be passin' through ta grab a cuppa coffee. I saw ya, so I figured I'd say hi." The two sat in the both, exchanging some flirty comments and sexual innuendo while tossing each other hungry looks.

Not long after, Shane had Eva lying on the bench seat in the back of her car, shorts tossed somewhere in the front seat, two fingers knuckle-deep in her cunt, and his lips wrapped around her swollen clit.

_Thank fuck for tinted windows._


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: This one's coming a day early! Mostly because of the episode, but also because of this awesome reviewer Lucy who keeps urging for more chapters. It's essentially all smut, so I hope you guys enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to review, please!_

* * *

Chapter Seven

She reminded him of the most perfectly ripe Georgia peach: juice overflowing and running down his chin, his tongue trying to get at the source for more of the savory taste. However, this was better than any state fruit could promise to be.

When he surprised her at the coffee shop, he certainly didn't expect to be in this situation. He had found himself kneeling on the floor of the spacious back seat of her car, Eva on her back with her feet propped on his shoulders, and all of this in the span of ten minutes.

As she packed up her belongings from the table, Shane had offered to help carry her things out to the car. One moment he was escorting her to the parking lot, and the next he was yanking down her shorts and panties. Yet, he wasn't complaining.

The moment he had her bared to him, Shane had leaned forward and licked a stripe from her opening to her clit. That earned him a breathy "Shane". From that, Shane made it a goal to see how many different sounds he could draw from her before they emerged from her car.

He had started out with teasing licks to every area except where she was urging him, and she was becoming frustrated. Flattening his tongue, he pressed it firmly against her clit making her gasp. He licked and laved her with his tongue, and she was moaning, a slight roll to her hips.

As he worked her over with his tongue, Shane glanced up toward her. _Damn, I'm good, _he thought. Her face was contorted in sweet agony: her brows drawn together, her bottom lip captured between her teeth, and a faint flush adorning her cheeks. And that was a picture he wanted to keep tucked away in his spank bank.

Although he loved her moaning his name, he didn't want to keep her in suspense for too much longer; he decided to bring it home. He leaned back on his heels for a quick moment-Eva made a noise of disappointment-and sucked his middle and ring finger in his mouth. Making eye contact with Eva, Shane reached forward with his spit-slickened hand and made a tight, firm circle against her clit before stroking downward and slipping his fingers into her. He groaned at her tightness practically sucking his fingers as deep as he could go.

"Please, let me come," she begged him reaching out to pull him forward.

"No need to ask me twice."

Shane pressed his mouth against her clit, suctioning against her. She keened with ecstasy and started moving her hips against his face. He had her whimpering when he curled his fingers upward and began stroking her in time to her motions. As soon as he felt her walls fluttering around his fingers, he knew she was seconds away from coming.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" she cried out, and he suckled at her until she was pushing him away from her.

Slowly slipping his fingers from her pussy, Shane brought them to his mouth and licked his hand clean of her juices.

"That's fucking sexy."

He looked over at the woman basking in the afterglow in his orgasm, smirking back at her.

"Ya wanna taste, darlin'?" In response, she reached forward, grabbing a lapel of his uniform and pulling him forward meeting his lips in a fierce kiss.

"Mmm...I taste really good on you," she said against his lips.

While composing themselves, Eva and Shane were sat on the seat straightening their clothes. He glanced over to her. She was glowing, and he felt his chest inflate with masculine pride at knowing he caused it.

From the small amount of time they shared together, Shane knew he was attracted to her. Seriously, the girl was hot. She was short and curvy; big, real boobs with dark, pierced nipples begging to be played with; a slim waist that flared out into wide hips and a plump ass his fingers were itching to spank; long, black hair he wanted to pull; and a year-round tan many girls paid for. She wasn't his usual type: tall, leggy blondes with fake tans and equally fake boobs and no trace of an ass. Yeah, his usuals were fun to look at and almost as fun to play with, but they expected him to do all the work.

He knew he wasn't bad at sex. Hell, by the way he had Eva crumbling beneath his mouth and fingers was testament to that. He was thoroughly experienced what with all those years or sexual encounters under his belt. And he loved taking an active part in the whole shebang, but he would appreciate every once in a while that one of those girls he fucked would take the reigns.

Eva was that sinful little angel he'd been waiting for. So far, she'd initiated both their liaisons. She essentially used him for his services, not expecting anything more from him. Like today, she showed no remorse for his hardened dick that still pressed firmly against the zipper of his pants. Blue balls were no joking matter. He knew should forget the girl and move on, but the memory of her quivering beneath him just had him craving more.

An idea came to mind.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! It's a bit of a short filler, but it's a nice segue into the next couple chapters. Thank you to Lucy for your enthusiasm and excitement for my story :) Like always, please read and review!_

* * *

Chapter Eight

"Thanks. I really needed that."

"Pleasure's all mine, sweetheart."

Eva moved slowly, pulling her clothes back on. She took her time redressing, reveling in the aftermath of their vehicular romp. She felt as if every cell in her body was recovering from the explosive orgasm, and each muscle in her body was lagging in response to the messages her brain was sending out.

Once her shirt was on, Eva leaned back against the seat for the moment waiting for her body to catch up. When she was sure all limbs were relatively responsive, Eva finished dressing.

She glanced over at Shane. His head was back leaning against the headrest, his eyes closed. She noticed the strong cut of his jaw, the muscles moving beneath the recently shaven skin as he clenched his jaw tightly. He had a head of thick dark hair she was tempted to run her fingers through. Her eyes moved downward tracing over the man's rigid profile. She noticed the slow rise and fall of his chest beneath the fabric of his shirt. Moving further, her eyes fell upon the prominent bulge pressing against the zipper of his pants.

At that, she felt a bit guilty. For both their sexual encounters, Shane had willingly kneeled before her and worshipped her body with his oral talents. And there she was, not relieving him of his blue balls.

Unlike most girls, Eva actually enjoyed performing blowjobs on men. She didn't find the act degrading or demeaning: in fact, she felt empowered when she slipped a cock between her lips. There was a sense of feminine power that coursed through her veins as she controlled a man with her mouth. She loved the sounds of desperation he made, his hands cupping her head and threading through her hair, and his thighs and hips quivering beneath her own hands. And when the man came, she loved watching the faces he'd make as she swallowed each drop he had to offer her.

Unfortunately for her, she hadn't given a blowjob since early on in her relationship with Jack. And glancing over at Shane now, her mouth was watering for a little taste.

"Want me to return the favor?" she broke the silence in the car. He cracked an eye and glanced over at her. "I'm sure your pants aren't too comfortable what with that monster fighting to get out." He chuckled at her response before sitting up in his seat, adjusting himself in his pants as he did so. "I'm a bit out of practice, but I'm sure it's just like riding a bike. Give me a couple minutes, and I'll be right as rain." Shane groaned before responding to her.

"Damn, girl. You have no idea how hard I'm fighting you on that offer."

"What's stopping you?"

"Being an officer of the law, I have ta uphold a respective character," he answered.

"I'm almost pretty sure what you just did to me was not upstanding citizen behavior, at least not for a sheriff's deputy," she countered. "What's one more bad behavior to add to the list?"

"Y'sure ain't makin' this easy on me. If I wasn't late for work, I'd let ya do whatever ya wanted. But I'm sure they gonna send out a search party for me soon."

Disappointed, Eva opened the car door and stepped into the bright Georgia sunlight. Shane followed suit, stepping around the car to meet her.

"I'll let you make it up ta me later," he said pressing her into the side of her car. "Tonight. My place. You can return the favor." He punctuated his request with a nip to her neck. She could only nod in response.

As she watched him walk away, only one thought came to Eva's mind.

_Boy, is he in trouble!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: So...I know I've set up a cliffhanger a couple of chapters back, and I'm dragging out the conclusion for such just to be evil. Muahahaha! It'll be well worth the wait. At least, I think so. During writing this chapter, I've come to realize that attempting to write a southern accent is incredibly difficult, and I hope it makes sense when you guys read it. I tried. I really did. On a separate note: thanks to all my readers and reviewers :) I love seeing that I have so many people interested in it if the amount of favorites and alerts are to go by, especially the reviews I'm receiving. One such reviewer is extremely enthusiastic. If you do enjoy my story, or if you don't, please leave a review or hell, even a message if you're shy. Feedback keeps me going :) and I'm more apt to posting sooner with the more reviews I receive. Thanks again, you lovely people!_

* * *

Chapter Nine

Shane was driving to work in his police cruiser, windows down to let the passing breeze flit through the windows. The sun was high in the sky beating down onto all unprotected by shade, his arm a victim as it hung out the driver side window. As soon as he felt his skin start to burn, he pulled it inside the car, resting it atop the steering wheel and moving his right to rest on the middle console between the front seats. The skin of his arm had turned a slight shade of pink protesting the pain.

_Shit's gonna start peeling tomorrow, _he thought.

When he was younger, Shane's momma always made him and his brother lather on a thick layer of sunscreen before they even thought about stepping outside.

"Sunburns ain't nothin' ta mess with, y'here? Skin'll peel and blister, and ya'll wanna scratch, but if ya touch it. It'll make it worse. Best ta 'void it from even happenin'."

And when he got older and into his rebellious phase, Shane stopped with the skin protection habits his mom pushed onto him. But every time he got burned, which was incredibly often, he'd regret turning away the sunscreen. But he'd either forget or just not care enough to go pick some up.

As he walked into the King County Sheriff's office, Shane noticed Rick sat atop their conjoined desks with a suspiciously conspiratorial smirk on his face.

"What's that look for?" he asked his best friend.

"Just a li'l curious is all," Rick responded hopping off the desk. Shane gave him a look that told him to continue. "You come in this morning a bit disheveled: buttons skipped on your shirt and your belt missing a few loops on your pants. Then when we send you for coffee this mornin', you jump on the chance and race outta here. Figure you're just jonesin' for some caffeine, but you're gone for a helluva long time." Rick paused for dramatic effect allowing the smile on his face to grow. "Don't see no coffee, so where were ya?"

Shane threw Rick a look of annoyance. "I don't know what ya mean."

"Like hell. Something has you all goofy an' un-Shane-like."

"Shut up, and get ta your paperwork." Rick chuckled before sitting at his desk and focusing on his computer screen. Trying to ignore his friend, Shane soaked a paper towel with ice cold water from the water cooler and wrapped it around his forearm.

Shane and Rick remained working in silence, only sharing a word or two when climbing into the cruiser and finding a place to sit and catch speeders and await any alerts over the CB.

"So..." Rick began, earning a deep sigh from Shane. "Does your new mood have anythin' ta do with the girl you went home with last night?" At Shane's look of irritation, Rick continued. "Bobby and Joe told me."

"Come off it, man."

Rick took a moment to stare at the man in the passenger seat. "Brother, you're never like this. Usually, you're all talk, waiting to share all the dirty details of the night with any girl, while I'm always tryna getcha to shut up. Now, you're all tight-lipped, I'm over here tryna getcha to spill. What's got ya?"

Loudly exhaling, Shane prepared to tell the story.

"I met her earlier this week. Eva. She's the one I told ya 'bout: the girl with the tire at the coffee shop?" Rick nodded in agreement. "Well, I gave her mah number, but she never called."

"Wait," Rick interjected, "a girl turned _you_ down?! I didn't think that was possible."

"Go fuck yourself. But yeah. Then last night, I run into Sherry, and th'girl was too persistent at comin' onto me."

"Which one was Sherry?" Rick interrupted again.

"The blonde one before Heidi that started in on me meetin' her family and makin' dates with her friends." Rick made a sound of understanding. "Anyway, Sherry was tryna chat me up, and then outta nowhere, Eva walks up and acts like ma girl, and she saves me from crazy. We end up talkin' the resta the night, and this chick then asks ta come over to mah house. I take her back with me, and we don' make it past the couch 'fore we're all over each other."

"Remind me to never sit on your couch again."

"You've probably sat on worse before," Shane offered with a shrug.

Rick shot him a look of disgust but gestured for him to continue.

"This girl, summa the best sex I ever had, but get this: she sneaks out in the middle of the night. I wake up this mornin' in a tizzy 'cause this girl pretty much used me for mah dick then left once she got what she wanted."

"So, you're angry that she did what you usually do?" Rick posed with a chuckle.

"I wasn't angry. I just wanted another taste."

"Wanted?" Rick repeated, turning slowly to look at Shane. "Do you not want to see her again? 'Cause if this morning is anythin' ta go by..."

Shane lifted a hand to his head and started scratching behind his ear. "About that: I ran into her at the coffee shop, and we got a bit distracted."

"Say no more. I think I can figure it out from there."

"Right there in the parking lot," Shane continued disregarding his friend's refusal at hearing more. "And she tasted so fuckin' good, and she was drippin' all over mah chin like a meltin' popsicle."

"And the old Shane Walsh is back," Rick joked.

"This girl, I don' know what it is 'bout her, but I want more. Hell, I've got her comin' over tonight. If this don' quench mah thirst for her, I think I'm gonna ask her to be on retainer."

"Shane, brother, I think ya just want her because she gave you a dose o' your own medicine," Rick provided. "Besides, need I remind ya of all the other bed buddies you've had in the past. You were never happy for too long, complainin' how they wanted more than y'were willin' ta give in the whole emotional department."

"Like ya said, she did ta me what I woulda done ta her, so I think she may actually be on the same page as me," Shane asserted to his partner. "I've gotta pretty good feelin' 'bout her."


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! And for those of you anxious for Shane's plan from a couple chapters back, it's in this chapter. This guys is a short one, but hopefully it'll quench your thirsts until the next one comes out. Also, thanks for the attention you guys are showing this story. I greatly appreciate it. And a big thanks for my rather enthusiastic reader, Lucy. I really love the reviews you leave for me! Anyway, please read and review my lovely darlings!_

* * *

Chapter Ten

The setting sun cast a warm glow on the residents of King County. Dusk brought with it a much cooler breeze to the normally sticky air. Although the air was at a supposedly comfortable 70 degrees, at least to those familiar to Georgian weather, Eva was dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts and a goldenrod-colored v-neck. Most people wouldn't consider her outfit incredibly seductive, even though she was headed over for an assumed sexy encounter, but it would have to do.

Walking up to the doorstep, Eva double-checked that she had all off her necessities for the night: phone, charger, condoms, and a small tube of lube. Satisfied that she was prepared, she climbed the few steps up the porch to the door. She knocked on the wood and waited for him to answer. Eva was surprised at how quickly the door was opened.

Shane gestured for her to enter and led her to the breakfast bar.

"I ordered us some food," he said. "Assumed we'd need some sorta fuel if the night goes how I hope."

"How thoughtful," she chuckled. "I brought some stuff, too." She proceeded to set the 12-pack of Trojans and the small bottle of Astroglide on the counter between the box of breadsticks and the pepperoni pizza.

"I brought the fuel, and ya brought the tools." She laughed at his observation.

"So you were planning on it getting pretty intense?" she inquired before taking a bite out of a cheesy breadstick.

"I'm guessing 'bout as intense as the other night," he answered. "I did wanna run somethin' by ya first."

Eva stopped mid-chew staring at Shane across the counter. She was slightly nervous and a bit curious about what he was going to bring up right now. There were a number of scenarios that popped into her mind about what was to come, but she braced herself for the worst. She only stared at him hoping he read her expression at wanting him to continue.

"Now, 's nothin' crazy," he went on, "but after our few encounters, I think we go well together."

As soon as he said that, Eva felt a small wave of anxiety come over her. He was going to suggest they try dating, and she was damn sure she wasn't ready for another boyfriend in her life, especially so soon after her last one. As cliche as she sounded, she didn't want to be tied down after so many years of relationships; she wanted freedom and fun and fooling around! She wanted to time to explore her options with no obligations besides work and friends.

"Now, I'm not askin' ya ta be my girl or nothin'," he backtracked. "I just have a proposition for ya."

"What sort of proposition?" she asked her curiosity piqued and her nerves settling.

"Well, obviously from the first night together I gathered that ya wanted some uninhibited fun that I was more'n willin' ta provide ya. And after ya left in the middle of the night, I realized that ya weren't lookin' for anythin' serious, which I'ma happy fan of. That bein' the case-"

"You want to offer me the opportunity to engage in a no strings sexual agreement with you?" she finished for him.

Smiling at her, he nodded his head.

"You're sexy as hell, and fuckin' amazin' in bed what with how ya look when I got ya comin' and the sounds ya make."

She was flattered by his remarks, but she didn't know how to proceed. Eva had only ever been in serious relationships where the expectations of both parties-well, at least on her part-was a hopefully lifelong partnership.

"Whadya think, Eva?" he asked meeting her eyes.

She wanted to say no and yes. No because she thought of how many of her own friends' things didn't work out. Yes because she could totally go for more of the sexy man standing in front of her with his "fuck me" stare and "let me fuck you" stance.

"Fuck it. I'm in."

She felt a surge of adrenaline kick in as soon as the words left her mouth. She wasn't sure if it was because this could end in two ways: insurmountably bad or even terribly right for her, but there was no turning back now.

"Great!" he exclaimed clapping his hands together loudly. "Let's celebrate!"


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! And it's a fun one! Thanks to everyone who's reading! I'm glad you all enjoy it. I'd also really appreciate if you'd guys would review: let me know what you like and dislike, what you'd like to see, and any other feedback to help. A big thanks to Lucy for excitedly reviewing everything so far. I always look forward to your entertaining responses. Anyway, here we go..._

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Holy fuck, was he in heaven! Delicious, slow-burning agony, and he vocalized it with chest-deep moans. He never wanted it to end it felt so good, but he knew when it did, it would be the greatest feeling in the world. Damn, this was a great fucking way to celebrate!

Shane's hands tightened in Eva's hair as she continued to work him over with her mouth and hands. He remembered her saying that she hadn't given a blowjob in a while, but this girl was performing like she was born to do this. Her maneuvers were perfect: one hand gently playing with his balls, the other squeezing and stroking his shaft in tandem with her mouth, and just the right suction on his dick, her tongue pressed firmly to the long vein running along the underside.

Yeah, he had blowjobs before, some pretty good ones and a shit ton of mediocre ones. A lot of girls over-estimated their abilities: a whole lot of talk, but when it came to doing the deed, a good three-quarters of them weren't even able to get him close to coming. He'd use the lame excuse of having to be inside them to cut their failed attempts short and actually do something that would get him where he wanted to go.

This, however, was the best one by far.

After she had agreed to Shane's proposition, he was surprised by how fast she slinked to her knees and slipped him out of his pants. His mind went blank a second later when she licked his cock from base to tip before slipping the head between her lips. His legs almost collapsed beneath him as soon as she established a rhythm, but thankfully, his fridge was supporting most of his body weight.

He felt that favored, familiar pressure start building increasingly fast, a little too fast for his liking. If he wasn't on the verge of what could possibly be the most insanely satisfying orgasm of his life, he would show a little more concern about coming after only a few minutes of his dick down Eva's throat.

He tried with very little effort to push her away, to try and draw out his impending finish. He told her as much, looking down with half-lidded eyes hoping for her to stop and save him some dignity. Through his sex-induced haze, he made eye contact with her, taking in her appearance: her hair tousled from him gripping and running his finger through it; her big, brown eyes twinkling with mischief; her cheeks hollowed out by the suction on his cock; and her reddened lips stretched wide over his girth as it slipped in and out of her wet, hot mouth.

As soon as she winked up at him, he was done.

The sensation of her swallowing each and every spurt was way too much for him, but once she released him, he sunk to the floor to catch his breath and wait for the aftershocks to pass.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Eva had moved back to the breakfast bar and was munching on another breadstick.

"How're you feeling?" she asked him around a mouthful of garlicky goodness. He didn't answer, only sat drunk with ecstasy as small shivers still coursed throughout his body. "Well, it looks like I still got it." At that, he smiled lazily and nodded.

It probably took him a while to recover, but the moment he was sure that his legs could support his full body weight without collapsing, he stood and sat on the stool next to Eva. He didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed a slice of pizza and began to eat.

After a long moment of silence, Eva finally spoke up.

"So, I've never had a fuck buddy. The closest thing I've ever gotten is a one-night stand. That being said, I have no idea what sort of etiquette it entails."

Shane finished chewing the bite in his mouth before responding.

"Glad I could be your first," Shane revealed. "'S not too different from a one-nighter. Main difference is the person keeps comin' back for more."

"Should we create some rules, then?" she suggested. "That way I know what's what and we're not stepping on each other's toes."

"Works for me, darlin'," he answered. "Whaddya suggest?"

"Well, first and foremost, we're not together," she affirmed. He nodded as he continued eating his pizza. "That means we have no obligations toward one another."

"Sounds good," he agreed with her. "What else?"

"Second," she started, "since we're not together, we're not exclusive. We can see whomever we want outside of this thing. And if we start dating someone, we call this off."

"Also," he added, "no surprise visits. If I'm entertainin' a lady here, I'd prefer if you didn' show up unannounced."

"Ok. Always give notice and await a response for a visit."

"Since we're not datin', none of that nonsense that comes along with it," he asserted. "That means no dates, no jealousy, and no tellin' me what ta do unless it's in the bedroom."

"Sounds to me like you know what you're doing, Officer Walsh," she joked. "That's good because I'll need some guidance. I've only ever had relationships and the occasional one night stand."

With the two setting their rules, Shane felt relieved and relaxed going forward with it. He never had conversations like this with his past fuck buddies. It was more of them just going along with the situation, but then the girl would always get way too serious for his liking. However, with Eva, he had a feeling that things would go smoothly.

"Last thing," he added with seriousness, "if for whatever reason ya start ta have feelin's for me, we're callin' it off and goin' our separate ways."


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! It's short, but it's got sexy times in it. Special thanks to Lucy, my favorite reader who religiously reviews every chapter! To everyone else, please read and review. It shows me you guys enjoy it, and it keeps me writing :)_

* * *

Chapter Twelve

After the two had finished their discussion about their newfound relationship, Shane had led Eva to his bedroom at the back of the house, grabbing the box of condoms she provided along the way. She felt heat stir in her lower abdomen with increasing intensity the closer they came to his room. The moment they crossed the threshold, she could feel her panties were soaked just in anticipation of what was headed her way.

Under the heat of his stare, Eva was backed up against his dresser. She looked up into his predatory gaze: the brown of his irises gone, his pupils blown wide. She felt a shiver pass through her body, bringing a smirk to his lips. At that moment, all she wanted to do was nibble on his plump lower lip. So she did. Stretching upward, Eva captured his lip between her teeth then soothed the sting with the tip of her tongue. In response, Eva was lifted onto the top of his dresser, the height of which brought her to eye-level with the sexy man in front of her.

Before she could reach out to pull his mouth back to hers, Shane had ripped off his shirt and was working on her own. As their shirts landed in unknown locations across the room, Eva felt cool air hit her breasts, her nipples tightening at their freedom. She let loose a sharp exhale as Shane sucked the peak of her left boob into his mouth, rolling his tongue around the metal through her nipple. She leaned into his suckles and caresses, enjoying the feeling of bruises being sucked into the skin of her breasts. All the while, Eva had managed to push his pants down his hips and over his thighs, and she stroked him while he played and teased her tits.

Growing increasingly horny, Eva pushed Shane away and ordered him to sit against the headboard. Without question, Shane hurried to take his position and sat with his hands on his thighs and his erection standing thickly. She admired his severely aroused demeanor as she quickly shimmied out of her shorts and panties, kicking them away before climbing the bed and crawling slowly toward him. She made to lick his shaft, but he stopped her.

"'Ya do that? 'M not gonna last 'nother second," he explained to her. She chuckled at him and went to hover over his straining erection.

"How about I ride you instead?" At that, Shane smiled largely and grabbed her hips.

"By all means, sweetheart. I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Taking that as the go ahead, Eva grabbed a condom from the box sat on his nightstand, rolled it onto him, and proceeded to lower herself onto his girth. She settled herself all the way to the base, squeezing her inner muscles to accommodate taking him all the way in, and in response, Shane had let his head fall forward to her chest, his hands gripping her hips for dear life.

Slowly, she began rolling her hips, a little more as the seconds moved on. He helped her pressing his own hips firmly up into hers, matching her move for move. Grabbing onto Shane's forearms, Eva began moving with more deliberation, working her way to a blissful orgasm. As the pleasure began to grow higher and higher, Eva moved harder against him, moving a hand to play with her tit. She moaned in delight as she felt Shane slip a thumb to her clit and press firm circles against it. She quickly fell over the edge collapsing against the man beneath her, Shane only seconds behind.

The two had settled into their own sides of the bed after cleaning themselves up. Shane had stretched out on the side nearest the door, his arm tossed lazily over her side and his hand cupping one of her breasts.

"You're a boob man, aren't you?" she asked. His only reply was two quick squeezes to her boob. Soon, he had fallen asleep, his hand lax against her chest.

No sooner than Shane falling asleep, Eva had snuggled into the comfort of the pillow-top mattress, the snores of the man next to her lulling her into what she expected to be a thoroughly restful night of sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Whoop whoop! Another chapter! I'm excited! I've been outlining and drafting future chapters, and I think a lot of you would like what's going to happen. Thanks to my avid reader and reviewer, Lucy. I love your dedication! Please read and review, guys! It keeps me going!_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Shane sat on the back patio of Rick and Lori's house nursing a beer. He was facing Rick, who was preparing to toss the barbecue meat onto the grill. The two were chatting, waiting for the remainder of the guests to arrive.

"Ya sure ya don't need help, man?" Shane asked his best friend for the umpteenth time.

"Nah," he replied with a chuckle. "I got it. Just drink your beer."

Shrugging his shoulders, Shane leaned back and brought the bottle to lips taking a quick swig.

"So, brother," Rick said after a moment's silence, "how'd that convo with Eva go? Go over well?"

"Really good, actually. She was all for it. Hell, she even helped me come up with th'rules." Shane then proceeded to explain the guidelines that he and Eva had established the night before.

"Jus' 'member what I said: you're relationships don' end up too great. Someone's gonna get their heart broken."

Shane shook his head, adamant that his friend was wrong. "I sure as hell hope not. Th'girl's amazing, and I'd hate ta see her go anytime soon."

At that moment, Lori emerged from the opened sliding glass door carrying a succulent dish in each hand for their meal. They placed the food down on the table before sitting down into their own seats.

"Are you two talking about the new girl Shane's dating?" Lori piped in after taking a sip of the beer Shane opened for her.

"What?" Shane exclaimed in surprise. "I ain't datin' no one. It's a casual fling with a new girl I met."

"Shane," Lori exasperated, "you say that about every girl you start seeing." Shane glared at her in response. "Don't give me that look. Sooner or later, one of two things is going to happen: either you're going to come across a crazy girl who'll seek revenge on you or you're going to fall madly in love with one of these girls who'll eventually turn you down when you confess your love."

"I think Lori's right," Rick responded. "My money is on the first one." Shane shook his head in denial.

"I'm actually surprised that it hasn't happened to you yet," Lori pitched in again. "The sheer amount of women in your storied past, one of them hasn't tried to run you over with their car?"

"Hard as it may be for ya ta believe, Ms. Grimes, many women find me to be irresistible."

"Probably not when you run out on them the morning after," Lori returned.

The Shane-bashing continued for another few minutes, both Rick and Lori taking digs at Shane's love life, or lack thereof.

"In all seriousness, I do think you're going to fall for one of these girls sooner than you think," Lori said.

"I highly doubt it," Shane responded.

"No," Lori said with a devious look in her eye. "I think this new girl, Eva, right?" Shane affirmed. "I think you're going to fall in love with her, and she's going to break your heart into a million pieces, and you'll have absolutely no idea what to do. You'll mope around like a lovesick teenager."

"No fucking way that'll ever happen," Shane disagreed. "Come on, Rick. Back me up here, brother."

"I have ta say I agree with Lori." Shane shot his best friend a look of disbelief and offense. "After all the loose women, I think you're 'bout due a heartbreak."

"Go fuck yourselves."

"In fact," Lori began. "I bet by the end of the month you'll be saying the L-word."

"Hey, now," Rick interjected, "Give 'im the benefit of the doubt. I say he can hold out two months before he's confessing his love for her."

Not long after the married couple had placed their bets did more people start to arrive: some guys from work, a few neighbors, and Andrea. It was no surprise to Shane the she had showed up seeing as her and Lori were best friends. However, Shane could have gone a longer while without seeing her around, especially since the last time they had been in close proximity to one another was shortly after their split when Lori had been determined to get them back together.

Later in the evening, Shane found himself alone on one of the bench seats enjoying his latest brew. He finished out the last bit in the bottle and popped the top off another when someone had settled into the open space beside him.

"Nice night, isn't it?" Looking over, Shane came face-to-face with Andrea. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, her hair coming to end right past her shoulders. She was wearing a low-cut, forest-green tank top that showed off a bit of her cleavage, at which he wasn't above glancing. "It's been awhile since I've seen you. How are you, Shane?"

"'m good. How ya been?"

"Same here."

There was an awkward lull in their mediocre conversation. _Just like old times_, he thought.

Back when they were still sleeping together, Andrea had always tried to have what he thought were sad attempts at chit-chats. Before and after they fucked, she'd always try to engage him in something substantial and deep, but it never worked. The most success she'd ever see was when he'd tell her stories about work. That was usually the only time he'd get super talkative mostly because stories from work were pretty entertaining, especially arrests gone awry.

Thinking back on their prior fling, Shane thought about how sad and a little pathetic she'd gotten. At first, everything had gone well. They stuck to their unspoken rules, but a few months in, she started acting like a girlfriend. She'd tricked him into going onto what he believed to be dates, called him randomly throughout the day just to see how he was doing, but what made him break it off was when she'd asked him for a serious commitment. And that's how Rick and Lori thought he'd turn out: sad, pathetic, and hopeful for a chance at love. No freakin' way.

Andrea had invited him over one night, and he'd shown up expecting a quick screw before bed and another in the morning. Instead, he'd walked in to find a fancy dinner prepared and her in a slinky red dress. After he'd eaten his dinner, he'd attempted to drag Andrea to her bedroom to screw her brains out, but rather, she'd wanted to talk about him about becoming serious by him moving into her place. Without much empathy, Shane had told her he wanted out because he couldn't ever see himself being serious with anyone. He liked the freedom of being single, and he didn't want to ruin it by getting himself a girlfriend.

Their uncomfortable silence was broken by a sharp chirp coming from his pocket. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he saw he'd received a text from Eva. _What are you up to tonight?_ it read.

_Nothing, _he responded forgetting about his blonde companion.

_Want to come over?_


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, my lovely readers. I honestly forgot that I needed to post a chapter. My bad. Anyway, here's the new one! We're getting into some fun stuff now! Hope you enjoy! And as always, don't forget to review!_

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Chapter Fourteen

The two fans whirring in her room at their highest setting were doing absolutely nothing to cool her off enough to fall asleep. The Georgia heat was way too stifling, and no matter how many times she flipped her pillow over to the cool side, she just could not settle comfortably. She contemplated pulling some of the frozen goods from her freezer and lying atop them. However, the idea of having to eat all those unintentionally cooked fruits and veggies was not what she wanted to do the next day.

After flipping her pillows another time, Eva finally sat up, stretched out for her laptop, and turned on a movie. Watching a movie definitely beat staring out at the darkness in her room.

As the screen flashed brilliant colors in front of her, Eva's mind drifted off from the film playing in front of her. She started thinking about the conversation she and Taylor had a couple weeks ago.

"So how's everything going with your boy toy?" Taylor asked as Eva made dinner.

"It's going pretty well. It's a lot like having a boyfriend, but less maintenance."

"I'm happy for you, Ev," Taylor said. "You've finally found a guy that's not a colossal asshole like that last one."

"He's not my guy, if that's what you're getting at. We're just sleeping together," Eva assured making Taylor snort into her drink. "What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor only shook her head and took another swallow of her drink. "Seriously, tell me."

"Fine," conceded Taylor. "I know you're new to the whole fuck-buddy thing, but you should be cautious. If the two of you are only sleeping together, then one of you will start falling for the other. I know it's against one of your precious rules, but it's bound to happen. It's just a matter of time as to who will start crumbling first. And when it does, someone always gets hurt. You are my best friend, so I'm really hoping it's not you."

And Taylor's words resonated with her. Eva was no stranger to sex and all the mechanics and emotions that were involved, but she had a sinking feeling that Taylor was right about her and Shane. She just really hoped it wouldn't be the case.

Hers and Shane's unattached relationship had been working really well for them over its course, except for a few slight hiccups.

Because this was her first time doing something like this, there were still things she had to learn. For instance, one of the early times Shane had stayed over at hers and Taylor's place, Eva had woken early and began to make breakfast. As soon as the bacon hit the griddle, Shane was walking into the kitchen yawning and scratching his balls.

"What're ya doin?" he had asked after taking a seat at the island.

"I'm making omelets," she answered chipperly. "How would you like yours?"

"Um, Eva," he started, drawing her attention. She had turned to him after plating their omelets. "I 'ppreciate the hospitality, but this is gettin' into datin' territory, Rule Number Four."

Eva felt embarrassed, her cheeks heating up. "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't think-"

"Nah, it's fine," he said around a mouthful of bacon. "Just try ta'void it in the future."

And she tried her very best. The next slip up, however, was not too far behind.

That same weekend, Eva and Shane had been getting dressed after a long bout of intense fucking when she suggested they head to the bar.

At that, Shane immediately shot her down. His response was that was something girlfriends would say, and she was crossing a line again.

"Oh, um, OK then. I guess I'll see you later." After that, Eva just walked out his house and headed to her own home.

Later that night, Taylor had come home asking why Eva hadn't answered any of her texts or calls.

"My phone never went off. You're sure you called?"

"Yeah, I called like six times because the house key fell off my key ring, and I wanted to make sure you'd be home."

"I swear you didn't call." Eva stood up and grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter digging through for her phone. She didn't find it even after dumping all the contents out. "That could be why I couldn't find it." Using a phone locator, Eva and Taylor found that the missing phone was currently somewhere near Shane's house. Problem with that was she couldn't just show up unannounced. It was one of their rules, and she had already broken one today according to Shane. But, she did need her phone. _Fuck it_, she thought.

The drive back to his house was quick. She pulled up to the curb and did a quick scan of where she had parked earlier and the walkway up to his house. Nothing. Next, she walked up his porch to the door and rang the bell. She could hear someone inside walking to the door, and she was greeted by a sweaty, out-of-breath Shane.

"Eva, what're ya doin' here?" he asked, looking irritated.

"Sorry to bother you, but I-"

"Didn't we agree no surprise visits?" he said irritatedly as he interrupted her. "I've gotta girl over right now. Ya keep breakin' these rules, and I don' think this thing's gonna work out."

She was shocked she was being scolded by him. She was immediately self-conscious and uncomfortable standing before the half-naked man she had been sleeping with as he yelled at her for doing something that made him unhappy.

"I'm sorry, Shane, but I left my phone here. Would you mind grabbing it for me?"

Shane immediately looked apologetic for reprimanding her, so he quickly moved through his house, finding his phone, and bringing it back to her. With her phone in hand, Eva walked away and sped off back home.

After that incident, Eva didn't speak to Shane for a week, screening his calls and texts, avoiding the cafe which they both frequented. She didn't see him again until she'd run into him at the grocery store. He had apologized profusely to her, admitting that he should not have talked to her the way he had. She forgave him, especially after he followed her home and fucked her into the wall.

All that was minor compared to the most recent rule breaking. It was yesterday after their most recent sexcapade. They were both drifting off into sleep: she on her side curled toward the window and he spooning her. In that quiet moment, as he held her while they both fell asleep was that she was falling for the sexy, womanizing deputy. And that wasn't good.

Right now, as that last thought floated into her mind, Eva knew she had to do something about it. The smartest option was probably calling it off with him, but she really didn't want to. Instead, she decided that to stop developing any feelings for him, she should probably branch out and look for other men to entertain her.

_Tomorrow,_ she vowed, _I'll go out and find me another man._


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: We're getting someplace juicy, guys! And I really hope you like it! Please read and review so that I know what you like/dislike! Thanks, and enjoy!_

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Chapter Fifteen

He and Eva had been doing their thing for several weeks now, and he was enjoying every minute of it: every single sweaty, breathless moment of it. And it showed. At least, that's what many of his friends and acquaintances had told him. Rick had mentioned he had become less tense and rigid.

"Ya don't look so stiff no more. I think that girl is doin' wonders for ya."

His coworkers had contacted on his work ethic and demeanor. BE, or Before Eva as Rick liked to call it, Shane was a hothead and toed the line of excessive force. AE, or After Eva, Shane was much more lenient and fair in doling out justice: letting speeders off with warnings, talking down crazies, and even helping a lady rescue her yappy dog from a drain it had fallen down.

The others he worked with had little-to-no idea about Eva, so they were much more confused about his change in behavior.

"Something's wrong with you, Walsh," one of them had commented. "We've never seen you let someone go during a traffic stop. You're softening up, man, and we don't know if we like it or not."

The guys would give him odd stares when he'd do something out of character. He knew what he was doing was not him, but it didn't feel uncomfortable for him. And the discomfort he witnessed from his colleagues brought him some sick pleasure.

But for him, the only trouble he found was in how content the arrangement made him feel. And that worried him.

The first time he felt something else stirring was a few weeks in. He had asked her over to his house after a pretty exhausting day fighting crime in King County. When she accepted, he prepared for their night as usual: making some food in case they got hungry, showering so as to not offend her with any unsavory body odors, ensuring they had several condoms within reach of wherever they may end up, and a tshirt for her in case she wanted to wear something to sleep in. Once she arrived, they followed their favored routine of eating, fucking, talking, fucking while a movie played in the background, and finally heading to the bedroom where they fucked before falling asleep.

He'd woken in the middle of the night for a glass of water and a quick piss with the plan of heading to bed and waking her up with his mouth on her mound for another late night round. And that's what he did. He had slipped beneath the covers of the bed and settled himself between her thighs and urged her awake with his tongue and fingers. She came undone as she awoke beneath him. And he slipped his cock inside her as her eyes fluttered open. Upon her first moan as he rocked inside her, he bent down and kissed her softly, swallowing her soft gasps and cries as he brought her to her peak once more.

Afterward, she had fallen asleep quickly beside him. He stayed awake turned toward her, taking in her appearance as it softly glowed beneath the moonlight that filtered in from the window. In that quiet moment, his mind brought forward some thoughts he was hoping would never come to surface: like how her tan skin was the softest beneath his fingertips, how her raven hair was the silkiest as he ran his fingertips through it, how her lips were the most tender when pressed against his, and how at this very moment he wanted to pretend that she was his, so he pulled her toward him and fell asleep with her wrapped in his arms.

From that moment on, he had to convince himself that that night was a fluke, something that occurred when he was tired and not thinking clearly. Sure, he'd never had a instance like that with any of the other women he'd been with, but that didn't mean anything. Did it?

He felt hopeful that something was budding between them every time she had inadvertently broken one of their rules.

That first time, when he had woken up to the smell of bacon, he had been woken from a dream within which he and Eva were snowed in a cabin taking advantage of the warm fireplace and the alone time together. And when he opened his eyes, he realized that reality was a tad disappointing. Before he left the bed, he took those hidden feelings for her and buried them deep down. And when he walked into her kitchen, he knew he'd have to shut her down, distance her from the thought that maybe he was interested in more.

Over time, he knew he needed to do something to lessen his feelings for her. He did the only logical thing his brain could conjure up: fuck another girl. He decided it after an afternoon in which she'd gone over for a quick bang. Upon his climax, he had to bite her shoulder to keep himself from saying stupid things like "I love you", or something as equally stupid. As he came down, he decided to go to the bar and pick up a willing woman. When she suggested they head to the bar that night, he panicked at the idea of her witnessing him attempting to go home with someone other than her, so he shut her down, claiming that she was trudging girlfriend territory.

The entire act of flirting, bringing a girl home, and fucking her now felt foreign to him. It felt deceitful, even more so when Eva showed up unannounced mid-fuck. He knew it was weird stopping in the middle of fucking a girl, but the doorbell was a nice reprieve from feeling like her was betraying someone. But when he opened the door and saw Eva there, he felt like the biggest jerk in existence. He was angry at himself, but he displayed that anger by yelling at her, hoping to mask his guilt.

That week she had avoided him, all he wanted to do was go crawling on hands and knees to her front door and begging him to forgive her for being a huge douche just so he could see her face again. And when she forgave him, he promised himself he'd do the honorable thing to never hurt her or make her doubt herself again. He'd make her happy, ensure that her bright smile never left her face unless it was replaced by orgasmic pleasure.

To carry out this plan, Shane had called Eva inviting her over for their usual night of fun, leaving out the part that he wanted to talk to her about where they could be headed. She declined saying that she had already made plans. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. So he called Rick and told him he needed to get out of his head. Rick suggested they meet at the bar.

Once settled at a table, Shane soon realized that Eva was there with some strange guy as company. He'd never been more jealous in his life. He kept his focus on her the entire time, watching as she laughed at the guy's jokes, smiled at his charm, and even caressed his arm in an attempt to flirt. And each gesture felt like a knife twisting in his gut.

Finally when she excused herself to the restroom, Shane stood up and walked toward the guy, whose friends were sat at a nearby table. As he approached, he heard the guy make untoward comments about Eva and the nasty things he was going to make her do.

It all happened in a blur. As soon as he heard the man say those things about her, he saw red, and the next thing he realized as the anger-induced haze lifted was that he made a huge mistake.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: Sorry the long wait! I was a bit busy last week, and I couldn't find time to sit down and write anything. This week was crazy, too, but I didn't want to leave you guys hangin' for too long. Don't worry, though. We're gettin' to some good stuff *wink wink* So please review to let me know what you think so far :) Enjoy!_

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Chapter Sixteen

Eva and Taylor were gathered in Eva's room grabbing clothes from the piles they created on her bed and modeling them for one another.

"What about this one?" Eva asked holding a black-and-white-striped dress up to her body. "I can pair it up with my red necklace and lipstick."

Taylor stared at her a moment, hand on her hip and the other cupping her chin. "That's more of a first-date dress. You're just trying to get laid, not find a boyfriend. What about that one?" She gestured toward a black, v-neck dress. "It's your signature color, and it shows off them curves and your cleavage."

Earlier that day, Eva had called Taylor to plan a girls' night out. She had suggested they head out to Atlanta for some nightclubbing and some crazy shenanigans.

As they readied for their night out, Taylor had received a text from her current boy toy inviting her out to the local bars. Taylor, using some convincing puppy eyes, managed to convince Eva to stay in town this time around so that she could get laid. Eva caved reluctantly.

Half an hour later, Eva found herself seated on a barstool at a table with Taylor, Taylor's male companion, and some of his friends. One of his friends, Alec, was focusing much of his attention on Eva, facing toward her, resting his arm around the back of her chair, and making steady eye contact with her and her breasts. And she was enjoying every minute of the attention he was showing her.

He was a bit sexy, she thought. He was rugged and buff with some facial scruff. _Not as enticing as Shane's,_ she thought. _His hair isn't as long either. _As soon as those thoughts made their way into her head, she mentally scolded herself.

_This isn't the time to fawn over the guy,_ she chided herself. _He's not your focus tonight. Focus on this Alec guy. Go home with him, fuck him senseless, and forget about What's-His-Face._

And that's what she spent a good majority of the night doing. Every time she felt herself drifting toward her sexy deputy, she'd mentally smack herself. She put all of her focus on Alec: laughing at his jokes, lightly touching him, and even sitting as close to him as possible to feel the hard line of his body.

Over the course of the night, she'd done a swell job at forgetting about Shane and centering her attention on the blonde cutie in front of her, so much so that she hadn't even noticed when Taylor and Alec's friend disappeared for the night. Her plan was working great so far.

After about her fifth drink, Eva excused herself from Alec and the group to use the restroom. Stepping into a toilet stall, she chanced a quick glance at her phone, silently hoping that she had received another text from Shane. Earlier that night, he had invited her over for the usual, but she had declined saying that she had pre-scheduled plans. At his lack of response, she imagined, and slightly hoped, that he was disappointed at her refusal. Seeing that no new notifications appeared on her phone, she finished her business and headed back to her table.

There was a commotion back in the crowd near her table. Figuring some drunks were arguing, Eva maneuvered herself around the busybodies intent on finding Alec and suggesting they head out. What she found awaiting her was not at all what she expected.

She was met with Shane breathing heavily in an aggressive stance poised over an unconscious, bruise-forming Alec.

_What the hell did I miss?_


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: Sorry for the long waits between chapters recently. I've been a bit busy. I know, not the best excuse, but it's all I have. Anyway, here's the next chapter! I'll try to release the next chapter on time. Please review to let me know you're interested :) Enjoy!_

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Chapter Seventeen

He remembered Rick pushing him through the throng of onlookers at the bar. His friend remained silent as they walked over the threshold into the cool, mostly silent night. As the door shut behind them, the mass of voices became muffled allowing Shane to sift through his thoughts filled with rage and jealousy. He didn't notice as Rick stood against the cheap wooden railing surrounding the front patio of the bar, his arms crossed as he stood opposite of the seated Shane.

He remembered Rick following him back to his house. He recalled Rick saying something, but it all came back to him as mumbles and quiet whispers, all of it intelligible. He just lead Rick to his house, up the porch, and through the front door. Shane headed for the fridge to grab a beer before sitting on his couch and turning on the TV.

He wasn't sure what was playing. Instead, he only saw flashes of color and light move across the screen. Rather, he was plagued by his thoughts of the night, replaying that pivotal moment over and over again: punching that vulgar dick and watching Eva's shocked expression among all the faceless people in that crowd.

Not long after had sat down, there was a faint knock on the door. He didn't give much thought to who could be there, so he left it to Rick to answer. Rick had emerged from the bathroom carrying Shane's first-aid kit, setting said kit on the couch next to Shane before heading to the door. Shane continued sulking as he ignored Rick dealing with the visitor.

He was completely surprised when he felt a small, warm hand grip his suddenly sore and painful fist. He looked to his side and noticed Eva was softly cleaning and bandaging his split knuckles. He turned toward her watching as her fingers gently moved over his larger ones. He was so focused on her actions and the concentration on her face as she cleaned and cared for him. At that moment, he realized how fast his heart had sped up just at the sight of her. He feared that she'd be able to feel his erratic pulse beneath her fingertips.

After she applied the last bit of bandage to his reddening knuckles, he watched as she cleaned up the mess: the bloody gauze, the wrappers, the mess of a kit. She made to get up, the evidence of her care in her hands, but Shane wrapped a gentle hand around her forearm.

"Stay, please," he said softly. "I was hoping we could talk."


End file.
